Phil's Personal Finance Tip of the Day:
5 Tactics for Getting Exactly What You Want on Black Friday
By Casey Bond | Money Talks News – Sun, Oct 28, 2012 12:40 PM EDT
Shopping malls and retail outlets become war zones on Black Friday morning. So to get what you came for, you have to think like a warrior. That means going in with a solid strategy, and employing some stealthy tactics.
If you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get the best deals and save money on holiday shopping this Black Friday, try some of these maneuvers…
1. Follow a strategic schedule
Post-Thanksgiving sales can be time-sensitive down to the hour, so you have to be at the right place at the right time to get the best deals. Being the first one through the door at 3 a.m. doesn’t necessarily guarantee you the steepest discounts.
For instance, I was slowing down at about 11 a.m. last year, figuring I’d seen the best to be offered that day. But on a whim, I decided to pop into one more department store before heading home. Good thing I did – the store was offering an additional percentage off purchases from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. only, and I scored some super-cheap Christmas presents by shopping late morning.
Before you head out and brave the crowds, sift through print and online Black Friday ads to determine which stores you really want to visit, find out what time of day the lowest prices will be offered, and then schedule your shopping trip accordingly.
2. Hide merchandise ahead of time
If you’re going after a popular item of Tickle-Me-Elmo-like proportions, don’t be one of the poor souls who wait in line for three hours and end up going home empty-handed. While not the most ethical solution, one thing that might work is to find the item you’re targeting ahead of time and hide it among other merchandise in the store.
Here’s what I’ve done: Find a table or shelving with stacked merchandise, like T-shirts, scarves, or shoe boxes, and put whatever you’re hiding at the very bottom. It will take a while for frenzied shoppers to make their way all the way down and you can go straight in for the kill when you get there.
While effective, this strategy will obviously be considered by some people, including store employees, as unethical. Your call.
To read the entire article from Casey Bond | Money Talks News:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/5-tactics-getting-exactly-want-100019888.html
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